Effectiveness of Implementing an Infection Control Link Nurses Program to Improve Nurses' Compliance With Standard Precautions, Healthcare Professionals' Compliance With Hand Hygiene, and to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections: a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to determine if Infection Control Link Nurses (ICLNs) can improve nurses' adherence to standard precautions, healthcare professionals' hand hygiene, and reduce healthcare-associated infections. The study involves 8 hospital units randomized into two groups to compare the impact of trained ICLNs against usual infection prevention and control practices over 12 months. The trial evaluates whether this targeted nurse training can enhance infection control behaviors and outcomes in hospital settings. The intervention group includes 4 hospital medical-surgical wards and ICUs where one ICLN per unit receives ongoing education and leads peer training on infection control and hand hygiene. The control group consists of 4 hospital units continuing their standard infection prevention practices without ICLN involvement. The ICLN training program lasts 12 months with monthly meetings focused on healthcare-associated infection prevention, standard and isolation precautions, and hand hygiene. Participants are full-time nurses in the selected units who provide informed consent and complete a questionnaire measuring compliance with standard precautions at baseline and after 12 months. Data on healthcare professionals’ hand hygiene, alcohol-based hand rub use, and infection rates are collected concurrently by hospital staff. The study ensures privacy by analyzing and presenting data in aggregate form. Overall, the trial spans 12 months with evaluations at the start and end of the intervention period.

Infection Control Link Nurses Program to Improve Compliance With Standard Precautions, Hand Hygiene, and Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections